June 15 Declared ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ Day

On June 15th, 2016, NYC Commissioner Julie Menn (from the Mayor’s office of Media and Entertainment) presented a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Bill DeBlasio, marking June 15th as the official “Beautiful-The Carole King Musical Day”.

On June 15th, 2016, NYC Commissioner Julie Menn (from the Mayor’s office of Media and Entertainment) presented a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Bill DeBlasio, marking June 15th as the official “Beautiful-The Carole King Musical Day”.  The day was marked in honor of the celebratory one-thousandth performance of Beautiful-The Carole King Musical.  Beautiful the Musical is currently the longest running show to play at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, breaking all box office records, and continues to play sold-out shows. Beautiful’s book is written by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Douglas McGrath, with direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince.  Beautiful the Musical features the spectacular, beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin & Carole King as well as hits by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil.

The Carol King music we have grown to love through came from passionate Brooklyn girl Carol Klein, who battled her way into the record business Carol Klein, the now named and well-known Carol King, achieved her greatest dreams in her mid-twenties:  the perfect husband, and dream career as a flourishing song-writer.  Beautiful the Musical tells the inspirational and moving story of Carol King’s life the behind-the-scene stories from her life that led to her greatest hits.  The show examines the roller coaster of her song-writing partnership with former husband Gerry Goffin, to her best friendships with Cynthia Weil, and Barry Man.  Becoming one of the most popular solo acts in popular music history is not a title easily attained, and Beautiful the Musical reveals the heartbreak, joy, and laughter that led to the creation of Carol’s music career that provided a soundtrack for a generation, to generation, with her presence even more impactful each time and again.

The creative team includes Derek McLane (Set Design), Alejo Vietti (Costume Design), Peter Kaczorowski(Lighting Design), Brian Ronan (Sound Design), Charles G. LaPointe (Wig and Hair Design), Steve Sidwell (Orchestrations and Music Arrangements), Jason Howland (Music Supervision) and John Miller (Music Coordination). Beautiful opened on Broadway on Sunday, January 12, 2014 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43rd Street).

Beautiful-The Carole King Musical Day proclamation declares the following:

Whereas, New York has long been an incubator for talented performing artists, and Brooklyn native Carole King, the groundbreaking composer, singer and songwriter, exemplifies our city’s phenomenal creative energy. King was captivated by music as a child and found early success at age 17 in 1959 when she co-wrote “Will You Love MeTomorrow” with her partner Gerry Goffin, which became a number one hit for The Shirelles. The pair wrote several additional hits before King went solo and was catapulted to stardom with the 1971 release of her Grammy Award-winning album Tapestry. During a career spanning more than 50 years, she has been honored by the Kennedy Center and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Together with fans far and wide, Chirlane and I applaud Carole King for enriching the soundtrack of our lives and shaping the music scene in New York and around the world.

                Whereas:      This year marks the 45th Anniversary of Carole King’s iconic album Tapestry, which remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. Released in 1971, the album spoke to listeners who were enchanted by its soulful lyrics, easy-going tunes and King’s distinctive voice. Featuring such unforgettable hits as “You’ve Got a Friend,” “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late,” and “Beautiful,” the album spent 15 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard album chart – a first for a female solo artist – and it endures as a beloved classic today.

                Whereas:      In January 2014, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” opened on Broadway, and today the production celebrates its 1,000th performance, making it the longest-running show at Stephen Sondheim Theatre. The Tony Award-winning musical follows the story of Carole King and Gerry Goffin from their early days as struggling writers through to King’s rise as a solo sensation with the success of Tapestry. As the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment continues to invest in our city’s vital theatre industry, Chirlane and I are delighted to join in congratulating all those associated with “Beautiful” on this impressive milestone and for capturing the hearts of Carole King fans old and new.

                Now therefore, I, Bill de Blasio, Mayor of the City of New York, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, June 15th, 2016 in the City of New York as:

                “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical Day”

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Ticket prices for Beautiful range from $69 – $169 and are available for purchase via Telecharge.com, but calling 212-239-6200, or in person at the Sondheim Theatre box office. Beautiful plays the following schedule: Tuesdays – Thursdays at 7:00 PM, Wednesdays at 2:00 PM, Fridays at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 PM.